differentiate
verb
dif·fer·en·ti·ate
| \ ˌdi-fə-ˈren(t)-shē-ˌāt
\
\
differentiated;
differentiating
Definition of differentiate
2
: to mark or show a difference in : constitute a contrasting element that distinguishes
features that differentiate the twins how we differentiate ourselves from our competitors
3
: to develop differential or distinguishing characteristics in
What differentiated a laborer from another man …— Sherwood Anderson
4
biology
: to cause differentiation (see differentiation sense 3b) of in the course of development
cells that are differentiated from stem cells
5
: to express the specific distinguishing quality of : discriminate
differentiate poetry and prose
1
: to recognize or give expression to a difference
difficult to differentiate between the two
2
: to become distinct or different in character
3
biology
: to undergo differentiation (see differentiation sense 3b)
when the cells begin to differentiate
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Other Words from differentiate
differentiability
\ ˌdi-fə-ˌren(t)-sh(ē-)ə-ˈbi-lə-tē
\
noun
\
noun
differentiable
\ ˌdi-fə-ˈren(t)-sh(ē-)ə-bəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms & Antonyms for differentiate
Synonyms
difference, discern, discriminate, distinguish, secern, separate
Antonyms
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Examples of differentiate in a Sentence
The only thing that differentiates the twins is the color of their eyes.
it was hard at first to differentiate between the two styles of music
Recent Examples on the Web
At the same time, Sonos is looking to differentiate itself from rivals in the smart speaker market, including Amazon (AMZN), with the introduction of another new speaker. — Kaya Yurieff, CNN, "Sonos finally introduces a portable speaker," 5 Sep. 2019 The event initially seemed like another opportunity for Democratic candidates to differentiate themselves from their opponents in a crowded field, but may now be the last chance for some to boost their primary campaign. — Renae Reints, Fortune, "MSNBC Climate Change Forum Will Give Voice to Democrats Denied the Debate Stage and One Republican," 2 Sep. 2019 Athletes, as a rule, want to differentiate themselves. — Jon Wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: U.S. Open Week One; Should We Buy the Coco Gauff Hype?," 29 Aug. 2019 Arigo said Halepuna will need to differentiate itself in a sea of competition. — Jay Jones, Los Angeles Times, "Take a look at Honolulu’s $5,000-a-night, game-changing hotel: 9 floors, 9 suites," 12 Aug. 2019 Shi has tried to differentiate his menu from that of his neighbors in the same small strip mall, the venerable MeetFresh, and relative newcomer, Hello Jasmine. — Grace Wong, chicagotribune.com, "Chinatown mini reviews: What you need to know about these 5 restaurants, tea houses and dessert shops," 25 July 2019 Pence, in an interview with CNN, defended border patrol agents while trying to differentiate the two facilities. — John C. Moritz/usa Today Network Austin Bureau, USA TODAY, "Mike Pence got a first-hand look at border detention facilities in McAllen and Donna, Texas. What he saw," 13 July 2019 Lowenstein questioned whether toxicology results could differentiate whether a crash was caused by falling asleep at the wheel as opposed to intoxication. — Julia Sclafani, Daily Pilot, "Man charged with murder in death of Costa Mesa fire captain had 7 substances in his blood, expert testifies," 22 Aug. 2019 What differentiates China and the US? Become a member to keep reading this story and unlock unlimited access to all of Quartz. — Echo Huang, Quartz, "An entrepreneur explains why government regulation is the key to a thriving self-driving vehicle industry in China," 19 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'differentiate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for differentiate
differentiate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of differentiate
: to make (someone or something) different in some way
: to see or state the difference or differences between two or more things
See the full definition for differentiate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
differentiate
verb
dif·fer·en·ti·ate
| \ ˌdi-fə-ˈren-shē-ˌāt
\
\
differentiated;
differentiating
Kids Definition of differentiate
1
: to make or become different
What differentiates the cars?
2
: to recognize or state the difference between
I can't differentiate the two colors.
differentiate
verb
dif·fer·en·ti·ate
| \ ˌdif-ə-ˈren-chē-ˌāt
\
\
differentiated;
differentiating
Medical Definition of differentiate
1
: to constitute a difference that distinguishes
the history of the injury also